Pain is the most common symptom for which people seek medical help, but its effective management remains inadequate, particularly for chronic pain. Current treatments for pain mainly include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for mild to moderate pain, and opioids, such as morphine, for moderate to severe and chronic pain. The opioids are notoriously associated with tolerance and dependence, while safety issues with Cox-2 inhibitors, an important class of NSAIDs, have led to market withdrawals, leaving a void in the pharmacological treatment of pain.
According to Pain Therapeutics - Drugs, Markets and Companies, October 2005, the worldwide market for pain is estimated at US $50 billion for 2005 and is expected to increase to US $75 billion by 2010, much of that growth being fuelled by an aging global population and changing attitudes towards pain management.
In 2006, the global market for OTC sales of topical analgesics was estimated at US$2.6 billion with the current market leader in this category generating annual sales of over US$ 260 million.